September 29, 2010

2010 Fall Family Weekend

Thanks to all of the parents, guests, and students who attended the 2010 Fall Family Weekend! We had a great turnout of more than 3,000 people attending ten events on Friday evening and the Big Orange Tailgate and football game on Saturday! The Silent Auction was also a huge success raising more than $10,000 for the Parents & Families Fund which supports student scholarships and programs for students and parents.

We ask that families who attended Family Weekend to complete a short assessment of the weekend. This assessment will help our staff examine possible changes to Family Weekend programming and will not take more than five minutes to complete. If your family attended Family Weekend, click here to access the survey. Thank you for your input!

Professional photography services were also on hand during the Big Orange Tailgate Party in Circle Park. Click here to view and/or purchase any of the photos.

sophoMORE: the 2nd-Year Experience

The Student Success Center's "sophoMORE: the 2nd-Year Experience" is a student-success initiative that focuses on engaging second-year students in conversations concerning their degree progress as well as academic and co-curricular activities that enrich and enhance their undergraduate experience. Throughout the academic year, special programs, academic success workshops, and targeted communications bring together faculty, staff and sophomore students to discuss their experiences and plan for their success at UT Knoxville. Learn more about "sophomore: the 2nd-Year Experience" by click here.

There are two upcoming sophoMORE Seminars:

• Wednesday, September 29: "The Best is Yet to Come!" features UT staff speaking about Academic Coaching, studying abroad, and resources to find jobs.
• Monday, October 18: "SERVICE-LEARNING & Undergraduate Research" combines information on how your academic interests connect to opportunities outside the typical classroom.

Both seminars will be held at 7:00 PM in the Lindsey Young Auditorium in John C. Hodges Library. If you have any question regarding the event, please contact Holly Odom at (865) 974-2792 or email us at [log in to unmask]

Spring 2011 Course Registration Approaching

Registration for spring 2011 courses begins soon, and if your student needs to be advised prior to registration, encourage him or her to schedule an advising appointment soon! Students should check their MYUTK portal to get their registration date and time. Click here for more information about course registration, including an undergraduate catalog . Click here for more information about academic advising.

Student Leadership and Involvement Opportunities

The Office of Student Orientation & Leadership Development (SOLD) is looking for a new group of student leaders to serve as Orientation Leaders, Leadership Guides, and Ignite Team Leaders for 2011. Application forms for the positions will be available on the SOLD website on Friday, October 1. The deadline for submitting applications is 5:00 PM, Friday, October 22, 2010

26th Annual CASNR Career Fair

The 26th Annual Career Fair for the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (CASNR) will be held on Wednesday, October 6, from 10:00 AM-3:00 PM in the Hollingsworth Auditorium on UT's Agricultural Campus. This event offers a tremendous opportunity for students to make contacts and interview with companies. Students should log in to Career Services' Hire-A-Vol system for a list of employers attending the fair, types of positions available and desired majors. Students can also submit their resumes to employers in advance through the RSVP feature. Dress is professional and students are encouraged to bring multiple copies of their resumes. Questions should be referred to Emily Gray via email [log in to unmask]. Click here to view a comprehensive list of employers attending the fair .

Pursuit Submissions

The submission deadline for the Spring 2011 (Volume 2, Issue 2) issue of Pursuit, the undergraduate research journal, has been extended to Monday, October 11. Pursuit accepts advanced, original, research-based submissions from undergraduate students in all academic colleges at the University of Tennessee. Encourage your student to direct questions about a potential submission the Pursuit editors at [log in to unmask].

Important Announcement from the Bursar's Office

The Fall 2010 Deferred Payment due date is Friday, October 1, 2010 at 4:30 PM. If fees are not paid in full, the student's account will be placed on hold and each student will be subject to late fees. For more info, visit the Bursar's Office website at http://web.utk.edu/~bursar/ or visit the Bursar's Office at 211 Student Services Building. You may contact the Bursar's staff at (865) 974-4495 or by emailing [log in to unmask].

What You Should Know About FERPA

The method with which the University of Tennessee governs the distribution of student information is based on the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, or FERPA. This Act established the requirements governing the privacy of student educational records in regards to the release of and access to those records. Education records covered under FERPA include, but are not limited to, transcripts, Degree Audit Reports, schedules of classes, class rolls, Academic History Reports, grades and rolls.

The Act gives four basic rights to students: the right to review their education records; the right to seek to amend their education records; the right to limit disclosure of personally identifiable information (directory information); and the right to notify the Department of Education concerning an academic institution's failure to comply with FERPA regulations. In short, FERPA provides for confidentiality of student records; therefore, parents of students may NOT have access to personally identifiable student records without the written consent of the student. UT has recently developed a website to help students, faculty, staff, and parents understand FERPA. Consent forms can also be downloaded by visiting the University's FERPA website. For more information, visit http://ferpa.utk.edu.

Safety at UT Series: UT Alert

Has your student registered for UT Alert? The UT Alert emergency notification system is designed to make quick notifications of emergency situations to all students, staff, and faculty who choose to register. UT Alerts are designed to give individuals information they may need to make themselves safer in an ongoing situation. Message types may include information about university closings, or emergency situations. UT Alerts will not be sent for past occurred incidents-only incidents that are ongoing and continuous threats for safety of the Tennessee campus community will be sent.

Individuals must register for the 'opt in' only program and will not receive these emergency notifications over a text system if they have not registered. Registered accounts will not receive any spam through the UT Alert system. Students can click here to register.

Construction Begins on UT New Norris House

The New Norris House, a sustainable home designed by an interdisciplinary team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is a 21st century take on the original homes in the community of Norris, TN, built as part of the TVA's Norris Dam Project in 1933. After two years of research, site visits and design work, construction of the New Norris House is under way. Click here for more information.

Baker Center to Host Gubernatorial Debate

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville's Howard H. Baker Center for Public Policy will host a gubernatorial debate on Thursday, October 7 in partnership with WBIR-TV Channel 10. The debate will begin at 8:00 PM in the Cox Auditorium of the Alumni Memorial Building. Republican Nominee Bill Haslam and Democratic Nominee Mike McWherter have accepted invitations. WBIR will broadcast the event live, and several other stations across the state will join in a simulcast. For more information, click here.

THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE OFFICE OF THE PARENTS ASSOCIATION
412 STUDENT SERVICES BUILDING, KNOXVILLE, TN 37996
http://parents.utk.edu  ::  [log in to unmask]

Important Dates

October 1: Fall 2010 Deferred Payment Due Date

October 6: First Session Fall Classes End

October 6: CASNR Career Fair

October 7-8: Fall Break (No Classes)

October 11: Second Session Fall Classes Begin

October 12: VolAward Concert

October 13: VolAward Street Fair

October 15: Last Day to Add, Change Grading Options, or Drop Without a Grade of "W" (Second Session Fall Courses)

October 16: Office of Admissions Fall Open House

October 19: Last Day to Drop with a Grade of "W" (Full Term Fall Courses)

October 29-30: Chancellor's Leadership Summit

November 9: Last Day to Drop with a Grade of "W" (Second Session Fall Courses)

November 9: Last Day to Drop with a Grade of "WP/WF" (Full Term Fall Courses)

November 16: Spring 2011 VolXpress E-Statements Available

November 17: Last Day to Drop with a Grade of "WP/WF" (Second Session Fall Courses)

November 25-26: Thanksgiving Break (No Classes)

November 30: Fall 2010 Semester Classed End

November 30: Summer 2011 Graduation Application Deadline

December 2-9: Final Exam Period

December 11: Fall 2010 Commencement

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Address or email change?

Please let us know if you have recently changed, or are planning to change your mailing and/or email address. Just email us at [log in to unmask].